Elementary Reading Specialist

Elementary Reading Specialist

The Elementary Reading Specialist plays a key leadership role in promoting literacy achievement through the design, implementation, and support of high-quality reading and writing instruction. This role includes providing targeted interventions for students, collaborating with teachers, and supporting the development of a coherent literacy framework aligned with evidence-based practices.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates deep knowledge of the components of a structured, integrated, and comprehensive literacy program, including foundational skills, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
• Applies a conceptual framework for literacy development grounded in the science of reading and developmental stages of reading and writing.
• Leads implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, aligned with state standards and research in literacy instruction.
• Supports the use of structured literacy approaches for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
• Administers reading screenings and diagnostics; generates written reports based upon assessment results.
• Utilizes a variety of formative and summative assessment tools to diagnose and monitor student literacy progress (e.g., screeners, running records, phonics inventories, comprehension assessments).
• Analyzes school-wide literacy data to identify trends, guide instructional decisions, and monitor effectiveness of interventions.
• Collaborates with grade-level teams and leadership to develop and refine intervention plans based on multiple data sources.
• Provides targeted, evidence-based reading interventions for students in need of additional support (Tier 2 and Tier
  3), including students served by Title I, MLL, or Special Education programs.
• Collaborates with interventionists, special educators, and general education teachers to ensure alignment of supports across tiers.
• Assists with documentation and monitoring for students referred for additional support, including IEP evaluations and ongoing MTSS processes.
• Serves as a support to classroom teachers, facilitating reflection and growth in instructional practice.
• Provides job-embedded professional development related to literacy instruction, intervention strategies, differentiated instruction, and the use of formative assessment.
• Supports co-planning, facilitation of and participation in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) focused on student literacy outcomes.
• Facilitates professional book studies and inquiry cycles to promote continuous learning and shared knowledge among staff.
• Organizes and facilitates literacy-focused family events, such as Reading and Literature Nights, to strengthen school-home partnerships.
• Communicates regularly with families regarding student progress in reading and strategies to support literacy development at home.
• Provides resources and guidance to families to support reading at home across developmental stages.
• Collaborates with the school's reading team, instructional leadership team, and district-level personnel to align literacy initiatives with school improvement goals.
• Assists in the selection, organization, and use of instructional materials and resources for literacy instruction and intervention.
• Contributes to the development of a coherent, vertically aligned literacy curriculum across grade levels.
• Works closely with instructional coaches and reading team to plan and monitor the school improvement process, to support professional development/training, to collect and analyze student assessment data, and to provide professional materials and resources for staff.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hand and/or fingers to handle or feel;

reach with hands and arms; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Standard Requirements:

Favorable Criminal Background Check and Child Abuse Registry Check for the candidate who is offered employment Tuberculin Test and physical Mandatory Direct Deposit of paycheck